It has been three months since we celebrated the momentous canonical coronation of the ninety year old image of Mary Help of Christians as old as the See of Lingayen. The Beso Manto Chapel at the theology seminary in San Fabian continues to draw pilgrims and devotees from many different parts of Pangasinan. The Mother who calls in Manaoag is the same Mother who helps in Palapad.

I am inviting you to organize visits of the image of Mary Help of Christians to our parish and school communities. There are three pilgrim images that are available for community visitations and veneration. You can coordinate with our Chancery staff for possible schedules when you can borrow the pilgrim statues to your parishes or schools.

In order to institutionalize the promotion of the devotion, we now constitute an association of the lay faithful in the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan to be called CONFRATERNITY OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS. The launching and organizational meeting will be held on December 8, 2018 at the Mary Help of Christians College Seminary in Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City from 8:30am until 12:00 noon.

From the parishes, I request the parish priests to send5 lay members and the school directors to send 2 members from the student leadership, to the launching meeting. Please choose leaders who are ready to collaborate with our vocation ministry in the promotion of vocations. Being a holiday of obligation, the meeting will close with a Eucharistic celebration.

Our Lady cares for us as her Son whispered to her before He died. Our Lord at Calvary asked us also to take care of her. His mother is ours too. De Maria numquam satis.

Beyond the historic day of the papal coronation of the image of Mary Help of Christians this coming August 22, we envision a people in this part of the world growing in piety and maturing in the faith under the mantle of Our Lady. We dream of generations of young men in the archdiocese eager to answer the call of the priesthood, sustained by the sacrifices and prayers of our parishes and schools.

We dream with Mary Help of Christians and through her we pray for an abundant harvest of vocations to the priesthood.

Beginning July 15 this year until December 8, we will be sending seminarians from the Mary Help of Christians Seminaries to visit your parishes and speak to the parishioners for a couple of minutes and animate them to join the Confraternity of Mary Help of Christians.

As members of this lay association, they will pray for the sanctification of priests and seminarians, promote vocations to the priesthood and build up a scholarship burse for seminarians in need.

Let us dream of a renewed Church together and let us together honor Our Lady through the Confraternity of Mary Help of Christians.